Course Components

Course Structure

Groups of up to 12 students work with a writing tutor to write in a range of forms. Tutors introduce students to a wide range of quality writing and encourage them to explore different forms. Students are supported to pursue their own interests, from poetry, long and short-form fiction and creative non-fiction, to memoir, theatre script, screenplay, and hybrid forms.
Students become expert readers, learn to give and receive critique and establish their own writing practice. They also hear from guest speakers and participate in workshops by established local and visiting writers. The course is a valuable way to connect with other writers and fi nd opportunities to participate in the local writing community. Each student is also assigned
a mentor to provide expert feedback on a small portion of their work. All our tutors and mentors are published writers with extensive experience.

Outcomes

Students prepare a portfolio of their best work, as well as a process journal, as a requirement of graduation. At the end of the year, the portfolios are assessed internally for the Hagley Writers’ Institute Certificate, and students receive written feedback on their work. A shortlist of the full portfolios are externally assessed and the Margaret Mahy Award is given to one portfolio to acknowledge writing excellence. Portfolios and process journals are due in mid-October each year, with graduation in early March. Many of our students go on to publication success.

Programme

Classes are designed to fit in with writers’ busy schedules and are held on Saturday mornings from 9.30am-12.30pm for 20 weeks spread throughout the first three terms. Students accepted into the Institute are expected to make a serious commitment to their writing practice in addition to the Saturday morning classes.

Are you a published writer, or a writer with extensive experience, who would like an opportunity to extend your writing practice?

Second-year writers’ class:

We offer a second-year class on Saturday afternoons (1:30-4:30pm) for students who have already completed at least one year at Hagley Writers’ Institute, or who have had work previously published, in order to extend their writing skills

Online option:

We offer an online option for students living outside of Canterbury. We will be offering an online Tuesday evening class (7:00-9:30pm), following the same format as the Saturday morning option.

All classes are limited entry programmes.